


The Master Hacker: Starship Factory: Near Assembly Line 1

by moody_trans_detective



Series: Rogueass Galaxy [36]
Category: Rogue Galaxy
Genre: Existential Angst, Gen, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28453131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moody_trans_detective/pseuds/moody_trans_detective
Summary: Steve tries to understand why being in the Starship Factory seems so strange.
Series: Rogueass Galaxy [36]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956043
Kudos: 1





	The Master Hacker: Starship Factory: Near Assembly Line 1

It was very strange, being back after all this time. It had been years. Steve, of course, hadn’t changed—how could he? He was just a robot, one of Pocacchio’s brilliant creations, but time could only see him get rusty and dusty. He couldn’t understand why he should be experiencing this strangeness.

Perhaps it was the starship factory. It did look different. A new entryway had been built since he’d been gone, and there were many new robots. It did make everything seem not as it had been. That must be the strangeness, mustn’t it?

“You okay?” asked Jaster again. The Desert Claw seemed to be very concerned about him. Steve wasn’t sure why.

“Yes, Mr. Rogue. I am a robot.”

“He’s not asking if you’re damaged,” said Lilika.

“Well, I might be.” Jaster rubbed the back of his head.

“I don’t think I understand,” said Steve, and then they ran into another group of oilders. They hacked away at them, almost immediately came across swarms of yellowbolts and greenbolts. Once robotic workers designed to bolt together spaceships, these robots were now rather hostile.

“Are you fine, uh, decommissioning robots?” asked Jaster as he wiped oil off his sword.

“Affirmative, Desert Claw. These workers have become hostile and are trying to damage us.”

“But how do you _feel_?” asked Lilika. She sounded irritated with him. But he wasn’t trying to be difficult.

“I admit I do not like it very much.” Steve made a motion to scratch his head—he’d picked it up over the years—but stopped short before he scraped up his metal plating. “What’s the difference between me and them? The programming?”

“Up until that lizard Tooki took over, their programming wasn’t evil, was it?” Lilika didn’t even bother to put away her hatchet. She was very prepared.

“Not the least bit,” said Steve. “For example, the cleaner Bob model was very efficient at keeping this factory free of grime and errant screws, and yellowbolts and greenbolts were the robots literally helping to hold the ships together.” He paused. Sometimes, humans thought Steve was slow. But he wasn’t. “Oh. You’re saying…”

“Do you think he’s trying to hack you?” asked Jaster.

“Oh. Oh my.”

Another wave of robots appeared around the corner, ready to destroy them all. The strangeness could be that robots Steve once knew were now sinister. Or perhaps Desert Claw was right to imply McGanel may be trying to hack into his own programming, use him against the other two. It certainly couldn’t be that Steve had developed actual feelings.

“That can’t be,” he said to himself.

“If that changes, let us know.”

“We’ll handle it,” said Lilika.

“We’re not hacking Steve up.” Jasted frowned at her.

“I would not be offended if you needed to destroy me to protect yourselves.”

“Really, Steve?” Jaster put a hand on his hip.

Steve considered.

“I admit I would not like it.”

“What else can we do?” asked Lilika. She gestured at him with her hatchet. “If he attempts to kill us—”

“We’ll find another way, Steve,” said Jaster.

This was strange, too. That some random man would care to preserve Steve’s existence. And that Steve appreciated it. Liked the Desert Claw the more for it. Trusted him. Strange. He shouldn’t trust anyone more than anyone else. And yet…

This strangeness seemed to be spreading. Steve was not sure what to do about it. His systems didn’t detect any external breach. Could it be possible they had adapted over the years, in the absence of updates been required to see to themselves? Is this why he felt so strange?

“Please, Mr. Rogue, what is nostalgia?”

“It’s…” Jaster glanced at Lilika, who shrugged. “When you’ve been away, or apart, for a while, and then you think about something, or see it again, and it’s…It’s kind of a rush. Why, Steve?”

“I believe I am experiencing robot nostalgia.”

“I don’t know about this,” said Lilika.

The next group of robots that waylaid them, she kept an eye on Steve. And, he discovered, he was keeping an eye on her. How odd. Did they maybe not trust each other? Steve felt more confused the farther he walked with these people. He wanted to return to the Dorgenark, to his hot, steamy corner in the engine room, and forget about this. But he also knew he’d run this by his systems, and he’d be unable to forget.

“What do you mean, robot nostalgia?”

The Desert Claw was kind. He was genuinely interested, without judging. Steve liked this.

“I’m from here, Mr. Rogue.” Steve shrugged. “This factory is my original home. I have not been back here in years. Many things have changed. My robot peers are now hostile. There has been extensive remodeling. The quality of the air, even, has changed—oxygen levels are down by nearly 1.0%. My programming is struggling with this.”

“Huh,” said Jaster. He held up a hand to a glaring Lilika. “That doesn’t sound like he’s being hacked.”

“It sounds like something.”

Jaster was being understanding, and there was something Steve suddenly realized he desperately needed to know.

“Will I be forgiven?” he asked. “For running away?” When Dr. Pocacchio had needed him most, Steve had left. He had left and tried to forget those related circuits and data files were part of him. But they’d always been there.

“I…don’t know, Steve,” said Jaster. He looked like he was thinking. Maybe like he was feeling. “Raul—my father—always said forgiveness was simple and complex at once, personal and impersonal. I guess it…it depends what you did, and to who, and…” He trailed off. “A lot of things. I didn’t always pay attention.”

Steve wondered if they were having a moment of male bonding. He didn’t know what that was. It was something women on a broadcast program had said once, a long time ago, when he’d been watching with…

“I believe I am afraid to be back here.”

Lilika motioned with her hatchet.

“We don’t have time for him to be having a crisis.”

“I don’t think it’s Jupis,” said Jaster, motioning for her to lower her weapon. “Aren’t there better ways to hack a robot than make him feel guilty?”

“Guilt? This is guilt? I thought it was nostalgia? Oh, now I am all confused.”

“Nostalgia can bring on guilt,” said Jaster. “It’s normal.”

“Maybe for humanoids!” Steve stared at his hands. They were made to switch out to whatever he wanted. Were they really his? What was he doing here? He needed answers.

But the only way to get answers was to push on, and see if Dr. Pocacchio was in his lab. And if he would even talk to Steve any more. Oh, why had he left the ship? He had liked being a pirate.

“I think he’s shorting out,” said Lilika.

“No, I am not,” said Steve. “My systems are functioning normally. Better than before. Thank you, Desert Claw. And I will inform you both should McGanel attempt to hack into my systems.”

“Thanks,” said Jaster, and began rushing down the corridor again.

Steve followed. This was all he really could do at the moment. Nostalgia, guilt—these were feelings. He didn’t think he could have feelings. He couldn’t. He couldn’t.


End file.
